The present application relates generally to the field of location-based services, and more particularly, to providing location-based data or notifications based upon the location and/or availability of one or more electronic devices.
Some location-based services may permit a user of an electronic device to obtain a graphical display of the location of other electronic devices. This is often accomplished using a server-based system, where various electronic devices may broadcast their location to a server that monitors the locations of the various electronic devices and provides location data to be used, for example, in generating a map of the device locations. One problem associated with this type of system is that with the increasing use of electronic devices, and in particular mobile computing devices, in order to accurately track the location of large numbers of such devices, servers must often send and/or receive significant numbers of communications, often creating delays in response time and increasing operational costs.
Further, some location-based services take into account only the location of an electronic device. In many instances, a user of an electronic device may be unavailable, or may desire to not be bothered by incoming messages such as phone calls, emails, etc. In these cases, the current location-based services may be unable to accommodate the needs and/or desires of many users.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic device that is able to provide location-based notifications without the need of a server that monitors the locations of various electronic devices. Further, there is also a need for an electronic device that takes into account the availability of one or more electronic devices in providing location-based data or notifications.
The teachings herein extend to those embodiments which are within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-identified needs.